GRAND RAPIDS, MI – A ballot proposal for term limits appears headed to city voters in November. Advocates on Tuesday, July 29, turned in two boxes of signatures to the Grand Rapids clerk’s office.

Leaders of Grand Rapids Citizens for Municipal Term Limits said they collected signatures of 9,675 registered voters, nearly 50 percent more than required to put a proposal before voters. City Clerk Darlene O’Neal now has two weeks to verify that the signatures are legitimate.

The proposal likely headed to voters Nov. 4 would limit the Grand Rapids mayor and six city commissioners to two 4-year terms. If voters enact term limits, it apparently would prohibit Mayor George Heartwell from seeking a record fourth term in office next year.

First Ward Commissioner Walt Gutowski and Third Ward Commissioner Elias Lumpkins also would not be able to seek re-election to their current seats in 2015. Rina Baker, who lost a bid to unseat Gutowski in 2011, is one of two women spearheading the push for term limits. She did not comment Tuesday on whether she plans to run for commissioner in 2015.

City commissioners in March declined to vote the proposal onto the ballot themselves.

“It’s overwhelming the message we got (going door to door): The people want the opportunity to choose” whether they want term limits, Baker said. “The biggest challenge is to find people home, but when they were home, I tell you, they were eager to sign.

“Term limits will help redistribute the power back to the people.”

Baker and Grand Rapids resident Bonnie Burke led the petition drive. They also are the primary donors to the campaign, according to reports filed with the Kent County Clerk last week.

Burke has contributed $1,459 to the campaign; Baker has contributed $1,331. Norma Van Kuiken, of Ada Township, gave $1,000 to the campaign and Grand Rapids resident Paul Potter gave $600.

Burke, who estimates she spent 6 to 8 hours per day over the past six weeks on the signature drive, said she's upset with city finances and recent income and property tax increases. Though voters approved the new taxes in May 2010, November 2013 and May 2014, Burke noted that few voters showed up for those "stealth elections."

"If the same people continue to be in a power position, you have less closeness to the people," Burke said. “Ninety percent of the people I talked to don’t know their commissioner. They don’t know what ward they’re in. It’s frustrating when a few are in control and the electorate is ignorant.

"Term limits is a great place to start (reconnecting people to their city government)."

The campaign reported $3,323 in total fundraising and $2,893 in spending, including payments to 13 people who circulated petitions. The highest reported payment for circulating petitions is $642.

The campaign also has spent $212 on robo-calls, according to the report.

The mayor and six city commissioners currently have about 45 years of combined experience in their elected positions. If term limits were implemented, the commission’s collective experience would decrease by at least one-third after the 2015 elections.

Only Mayor George Heartwell and his predecessor, John Logie, have served longer than eight years as mayor. Among current city commissioners, Second Ward Commissioner Rosalynn Bliss is the only one who has been in office longer than two terms. She would be prohibited from seeking another commissioner term in 2017 if voters enact term limits.

Historically, the city's First Ward over the past 30 years has been represented by commissioners who have stayed in office longer than eight years. The Second Ward through much of the 1980s and 1990s had the same two representatives, while the Third Ward since the 1980s has had much more frequent turnover.